


Together

by Typhoon_56



Category: Firebringer - Team StarKid, StarKid Productions RPF
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Injury, Loss of Parent(s), Married Couple, Married Life, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Post-Chorn, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18675505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typhoon_56/pseuds/Typhoon_56
Summary: As the reality of marriage begins to set in Jemilla and Zazzalil must work together to find a way to make it work.Especially when everything begins to fall apart.Post-Canon.





	1. What's Past is Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently joined the Starkid fandom (how I've lived this long without it I don't know!) But I felt it was lacking in fanfic so I decided to add something to the fandom. 
> 
> Hope y'all like it!

A warm amber glow fell over the village as the sun began to set and the wind had died down and was just a gentle breeze. Even the air felt different now and tension no longer hung above the tribe for they had actually done it. 

They had finally killed Snarl. 

And on top of their recent victory, the tribe now had the knowledge to further their progress. They could use what they had been shown to make new discoveries to improve all their lives.

For now though, Jemilla felt content to  just sit upon a large boulder that overlooked the tribe and watched her people do the things that they did best. 

Jemilla smiled to herself as she watched SB and Ducker trying to break open something that they had discovered near Snarl's cave. It was a brown, furry ball that was, according to Chorn, called a coconut. 

The knowledge that was bestowed upon them by Chorn was vast and, to be honest, it was rather overwhelming which meant that only small pieces of the information could be processed without getting a headache. 

This meant that neither Ducker or SB had figured out how to open it just yet and they were currently trying to pry it open with a stick they had managed to wedge in it. 

Both men were pulling on the stick in an attempt to split it open, but instead a loud snap could be heard before both of them fell to the ground with a thump.

Frustation getting the better of him, SB then threw what remained of the stick as far away as he could before picking up the coconut.

'Arrghhhhhh!!!!' He yelled out and before Ducker could stop him, he slammed the coconut onto the ground.

Jemilla raised an eyebrow in concern as the last time she SB this frustrated he ended up with a nosebleed and she didn't want that to happen again. Instead of anger however, a large smile appeared on SB's face as he pointed down towards the coconut which now had now split into two. 

Once Ducker had noticed what SB had done he patted his friend on the back and the pair then began to jump up and down and danced, both of them laughing loudly as they felt proud of themselves for figuring it out. 

Jemilla smiled at their reaction and felt a sense of pride for her tribe members. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Emberly squealed in delight. Glancing over to where she was standing, it became clear to what made her so happy. She was standing next to her boyfriend and admiring the slate tablet he was holding. Grunt had been busy with her paintings and seemed to be using Emberly as his muse. Since his first painting of his girlfriend, he had been practicing a lot which meant that his latest attempt didn't actually look too bad. 

Emberly's head and body were definitely still not in proportion to each other but at least he had remembered the eyes this time. So that could be described as progress at least.

Jemilla continued to observe the rest of her tribe and for once everyone seemed content. Keeri appeared to be working on a new dance and Tiblyn was trying to copy the moves, with some difficulty however since she wasn't sure how to move her arms the same way as Keeri was doing.

Jemilla then felt a wave of guilt rush over her as she recalled how upset Tiblyn had been when she discovered she had wasted 27 years 'holding up the sky.' Keeri seemed to pick up on Tiblyn's struggle however and helped her as much as possible. At least she was until Schwoopsie barged over in order to tell her latest joke. 

It must have gone over well as the group were all laughing together. 

Jemilla then scanned the rest of the village in front of her looking for another familiar face but she couldn't seem to find her. 

'Spying on the tribe J?' A voice said from behind Jemilla causing her to jump.

She quickly spun her head around to see who had scared her.

'Jeez Zazz! Don't sneak up on me.' 

'It was funny though.' Zazzalil chuckled as she sat down next to Jemilla, her arms out behind her to prop herself up. 

'So why are you sitting up here like a giant eagle ready to swoop down and grab someone?' Zazzalil asked sounding amused, her head tilting to the side slightly.

'I'm just enjoying the sunset and up here I can still keep an eye on everyone.' Jemilla reasoned. 

'That's creepy.' 

'No it's not, shut up.'

'Whatever you say creep.' Zazzalil teased.

The pair gazed at the sights before them, each tribe member looking busy as they furthered their understanding of the world around, and even seemed to be having fun whilst doing it. 

'They all look so happy don't they?' Jemilla sighed happily. 

'Yeah I guess they do.'

There was an edge to Zazzalil's reply that caused Jemilla to feel concerned.

'What it is?' Jemilla asked, an arm hovering above Zazzalil's back, hestitating until she managed to pluck up the courage to place her hand on the small of Zazzalil's back in comfort.

Zazzalil seemed to tense up slightly when the hand made contact which made Jemilla regret her action. At least until she felt Zazzalil relax more under her touch and let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

'It's just that they never looked this happy when I was in charged and I basically let them do what they want.' Zazzalil said softly.

Jemilla paused for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. 

'Well there has to be a balance between work and play I guess. Maybe without doing any work, it means that having fun doesn't feel as rewarding.'

'Yeah I guess.' Zazzalil uttered, still sounding upset. 

When Zazzalil was like this there was only one way to pull her out of the sadness. 

By making her understand that she wasn't alone.

'If it's worth anything, they weren't really happy when I was in charge either. You would know that more than anyone.'

'Yeah well at least you didn't burn down the village.' Zazzalil chuckled sarcastically, but it was clear that she didn't really find it funny. 

'Maybe not. But at you were the one to build the village in the first place. If it were up to me we would still be in the cave.' 

Jemilla could almost see the cogs turning in Zazzalil's mind, as she considered Jemilla's words.

'Good job we're both in charge then. It's like Chorn said, we need the balance.' Zazzalil said with a smile. 

Glad that Zazzalil had cheered up, Jemilla decided to ask a question that had been on her mind for the last couple of days. 

'Speaking of which, how do you feel about being a leader?'

Zazzalil thought hard before turning to face Jemilla. 

'It's a little scary to be honest but it's also pretty cool since I get to come with new ideas and share them with everyone.'

Jemilla was surprised by the honesty but felt optimistic about Zazzalil's confession. Perhaps they could do this afterall, but only together of course. 

'I'm glad. I was worried you would get overwhelmed.' Jemilla admitted. 

'You were worried about me? Careful Jemilla, people might start to think you care about little ol' me.' Zazzalil said, nudging Jemilla's side playfully with her elbow.

'We'll have to keep it a secret then.' Jemilla whispered, leaning in so Zazzalil could hear. The pair then smiled at each others antics. 

It felt as though a moment was about to happen since the pair seemed to have edged closer to one another during their conversation. 

At least one might have happened but suddenly Zazzalil started to figet on the spot, pulling at invisible threads on her dress. 

'Actually can we talk about something? Like for real?' Zazzalil said nervously.

'Sure. What's on your mind?' 

'Um.. damn how can I put this?' Zazzalil stratched the back of her in thought as she tried to find a good choice of words. 

'I kinda know what I'm doing when it comes to the whole leadership thing, but I don't know much about...'

'About?' Jemilla asked, feeling increasingly worried now. 

'About being married.'

'Oh.'

There it was. That word that neither woman had said aloud before.

_Married._

Zazzalil suddenly felt unable to meet Jemilla's eyes and instead looked at anything but her before continuing.

'We've been married for a couple days now and I'm really glad we got married and everything, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I haven't had any husbands or wives before so I don't really know what I'm suppose to do.' Zazzalil confessed, her face feeling warm as it started to turn a shade of red.

It was quiet for a moment before the silence was broken once more. 

'Can I tell you a secret?' Jemilla asked. 

Zazzalil slowly turned to look at Jemilla, their eyes meeting again. 

'I don't really know what I'm doing either.' 

Zazzalil's face scrunched up in confusion.

'But you've had lots of husbands and wives!' She exclaimed, raising her arms to emphasize her point. 

'I know. But this is different...' 

Zazzalil noticed the panicked look on Jemilla's face as she realised she had said too much. 

'What do you mean?' Zazzalil questioned. 

Jemilla opened her mouth to answer but found herself being cut off. 

'Dinner's ready!' Emberly shouted up from below the boulder. 

'We best go before SB eats everything.' Jemilla said, standing up quickly before climbing down the rock, leaving Zazzalil to just sit on the boulder feeling confused at what the hell just happened.


	2. Can we talk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zazzalil and Jemilla talk about their relationship and their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have only recently joined the fandom but I can't get enough of these characters! And Jemilla/Zazzalil is now one of my favourite ships. 
> 
> Anyways back to the fic, hope y'all enjoy!

_Two days._

Two whole freakin days since Jemilla had spoken to Zazzalil. Ever since they had _that_ conversation, Jemilla seemed to be avoiding her wife like the plague. 

Of course the pair had spoken about matters concerning the tribe but as soon as any problems were resolved Jemilla would then rush off before Zazzalil could stop her, offering flimsy excuses as she went. 

The rest of the tribe noticed the tension between the couple but decided that it was best to act oblivious to not worsen the situation.

It was only when Zazzalil glanced up from the spear she was working on and caught her wife staring at her, before snapping her gaze away quickly that Zazzalil decided that enough was enough. 

So Zazzalil finished up tying on spearhead, tugging the vines holding it together violently in frustration before slamming the weapon down on the ground. 

The brittle twigs on the floor crunched loudly underneath Zazzalil's feet as she marched across the village to where Jemilla was sitting on the floor, working on something.

'Are you avoiding me?' Zazzalil demanded sounding annoyed as she approached Jemilla, who just peered up at her anxiously as Zazzalil stood towering above her. 

'What? No!' Jemilla said unconvincingly, causing Zazzalil to give her a questioning glare.

'Okay, maybe.' Jemilla relented. 

With the admittance, Zazzalil visibly relaxed as she knew she was finally going to get some answers. 

'Well can you tell me why then cause it's driving me crazy?' 

'Can we talk in the hut?' Jemilla asked quietly as she looked behind Zazzalil. Zazzalil felt confused until she turned around to see the tribe staring at the couple, likely feeling concerned about the commotion. 

Zazzalil then turned back to Jemilla who looked up at her with pleading eyes. 

How could she possibly resist? 

Zazzalil stuck her hand out towards Jemilla to help her up off the ground. The couple then walked over to Jemilla's hut before entering. 

Once inside Zazzalil crossed her arms as she waited for an explanation from her wife, who stood with her back facing Zazzalil. 

'I'm a coward.' 

Jemilla's voice was so quiet that Zazzalil almost missed it. 

'After our talk the other day, everything got real very quickly and I guess I got scared.' Jemilla said, turning to face Zazzalil. 

'Scared? Of what, us?' Zazzalil asked, confused. 

'No! Scared of how strongly I feel about you!' 

'Oh.'

Jemilla then stepped closer to Zazzalil and refused to break eye contact this time. 

'You asked me why our relationship was different to the ones I had with Clarke's tribe, well those realtionship were based on looks and not much else but... I love you Zazz.'

The revealation caused Zazzalil to take a deep breath in order to calm herself as Jemilla's words echoed in her ears. 

_I love you._

Zazzalil couldn't believe what she was hearing and remained stunned. Jemilla noticed her quietness and took the opportunity to explain herself further, and she grabbed both of Zazzalil's hands to hold them in support. 

'I've never felt like this about anyone before and that scared me because I wasn't sure if you felt as strongly about me.' Jemilla confessed. 

_So that was the reason why she had been avoiding me?_

'Well first things first I didn't think you'd be the flighty one out of us-' Zazzalil joked, causing Jemilla to laugh softly. 

'-And secondly, I've never cared about someone the way I care about you J. I love you so much and you honestly have nothing to worry about.' Zazzalil said, squeezing her wife's hands in reassurance. 

With the revelation that her feelings were mutual, Jemilla couldn't stop herself from leaning down to kiss Zazzalil softly.

The kiss was brief but full of love as both women wanted to show the other how much they mattered to them. 

Jemilla was the one to break the kiss as she suddenly had a thought.

'I've had an idea-'

'Hey I thought that was my job' Zazzalil teased.

'Hush you.'

'Look I know we haven't exactly been together long but since we feel the same way about each other, I was wondering if you would like to live here?' Jemilla asked shyly, wrapping her arms around her wife's waist. 

'J-Mills! Are you asking me to move in with you?' 

'Yes.' Jemilla asked, sounding completely certain.

'In this hut?'

'Well we could move in yours if you wanted but mine's a little bigger.' 

Zazzalil paused to think about the decision for a moment and Jemilla watched a range of emotion flash across her wife's face. It looked almost as if she was having a debate with herself.

'So what do you say? Will you move in with me?' Jemilla asked once more, hopefully.

'Of course. I mean if Emberly and Grunt can live together already then so can we.'

It took all of Jemilla's self-restraint to not punch the air in celebration but on the inside she was jumping for joy. 

'That's amazing. We can start moving you're stuff whenever you want and you can-'

'Woah J! Before we actually do this I want to lay down some rules.' Zazzalil said, sounding semi-serious for once. 

'You, Zazzalil, the woman who ignored every rule I ever made, now actually wants to have rules?' Jemilla questioned, raising a questioning eyebrow. 

'Hey! I can follow the rules sometimes you know.' Zazzalil said tapping her wife's arm gently in mock annoyance.  

'Anyway if I'm moving in then I want to clear some things up. Number one: no bedtime-'

Jemilla could have combusted on the spot at that notion.

'-What!? You need to get the right sleep Zazz otherwise you-'

Zazzalil raised a finger to Jemilla's mouth to silence her interruption so that she could continue. 

'- _Number two_ : I sleep on the side nearest the door.'

Jemilla wasn't quite sure why that was a rule but nodded in agreement nevertheless. 

'And number three: we actually talk about anything that bothers each other cause I don't really want to piss you off without realising.'

Now that was a rule that Jemilla could understand. A lack of communication was the reason why the pair had fallen out for so long, and they wouldn't want to fall back into those old habits in their new relationship. 

'Trust me, you'd know if you pissed me off.' Jemilla half-joked knowing what a nightmare she could be at times, 'But the rest all sounds fine with me.'

'So does that mean we're living together now?' Zazzalil asked, smiling widely.

'Yeah it does.'

And with that Zazzalil got on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss Jemilla once more, this time more passionately than before as she ran her hands through Jemilla's silky hair. 

'Good cause now I can do that whenever I want.' Zazzalil smirked, as she pulled away and saw Jemilla's dumbstruck look. 

The pair were leaning in for another kiss when they heard loud whispers coming from the hut door. 

Jemilla peered behind Zazzalil and noticed the many pairs of feet hovering by the door.

_Of course they wouldn't get any privacy in their own hut._

'How long have they been there?' Jemilla asked quietly.

'Probably since we walked in.' Zazzalil replied matter-of-factly.

'I'm going to kill them.' Jemilla said moving towards the door.

She was stopped however by an hand grabbing her arm. 

'No you won't. We will. Together.' Jemilla smirked at her wife before the pair charged out of the door causing all of the eavesdroppers to jump in fright.

'YOU GUYS ARE SNARL FOOD!' Zazzalil shouted. 

'RUN!' Smelly Balls yelled, causing the tribe to scatter. 

'ONLY THE DUCK CAN SAVE US NOW!' Ducker screamed as Jemilla chased after him.

'SPLIT UP! THEY CAN'T GET US ALL!' Keeri yelled.

'HELL NO!' Smelly Balls cried out as Zazzalil grew closer. 

'HELP!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated.


	3. Not Afraid of Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zazzalil returns from hunting injured and afraid, Jemilla is left to make everything right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't y'all worry about Zazz too much in this chapter, I could never kill off one half of my otp... I mean I won't make life easy for them but I couldn't get rid of them :D
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy!

The fur covering the hut entrance was quickly swept to one side as the joint team leaders entered their hut, both breathing heavily from exhaustion.

'Well that was fun.' Zazzalil said breathlessly as she turned to face Jemilla. 

'Yeah nothing beats scaring the shit out of everyone-'

Zazzalil laughed softly at the thought of messing around and terrorising people like she used to when she was a child. 

'-at one point I'm pretty sure you told Ducker that you'd shove that hat of his down his throat.' Jemilla said laughing as she recalled the look on Ducker's face.

'Yeah I did. It terrified him.'

'I doubt they'll ever spy on us again.' 

'Good cause I really don't want to get interrupted again.' Zazzalil replied smugly as she walked over to her wife and put an arm around her waist before pushing herself onto her tiptoes as she began to kiss her wife passionately.

The pair soon found themselves lost in the moment as Jemilla tangled a hand in Zazzalil's hair in order to pull her closer, and Zazzalil ran a hand up and down her wife's back absentmindedly.

The couple stayed like that for some time but eventually Jemilla found herself pulling away from Zazzalil which was met by soft, disappointed whine from her wife, 'As much as I want to do that all day. We should probably get to work.'

'Do we have to? I don't really wan-'

'-finish that sentence I dare you.' Jemilla warned.

Zazzalil only smiled widely at the threat before agreeing with her wife, 'Fine. I'll go hunting.'

'Take Keeri and SB with you just in case.'

Zazzalil nodded, untangling herself from Jemilla, before heading towards the door.

'And Zazz?' Jemilla spoke softly.

Zazzalil then turned around to face Jemilla once more.

'Stay safe.'

Zazzalil's heart fluttered at the thought of Jemilla worrying about her. No one had shown this much concern about her before.

'I will besides you know me Jemilla, I'm not afraid of anything.' Zazzalil said confidently before walking out. 

'That's what worries me.' Jemilla murmured to herself as stepped forward to peer through the gap in the doorway to watch her wife run off into the woodlands, spear in hand and with SB and Keeri in tow.

* * *

'We need help!' A voice suddenly cried out from the forest. 

Jemilla quickly turned to where  the noise came from and saw Keeri and SB racing towards her, carrying the limb body of Zazzalil who had her arms slung over the pair's shoulders.

As soon as she saw her wife, Jemilla's stomach dropped as though she had been punched.

Jemilla quickly ran over to the group who appeared weary and bruised, 'What happened?'

'There was a saber! We tried to kill it with the spears but it was too fast, it attacked Zazzalil, knocked her down and then she didn't get back up. We managed to scare it off with a fire though.' SB explained. 

'Get her to the hut.' Jemilla ordered. 

SB didn't even hesitate as he pulled Zazzalil into his arms and picked her up, her face tensing up in pain at the sudden movement. 

Keeri felt a wave of nausea as she looked down at her blood soaked clothes and could stand and watch on as she saw her best friend being carried into Jemilla's hut. 

SB strode quickly into the hut and placed the injured girl down gently onto a makeshift table that Zazzalil was currently working on. 

Keeri followed the group into the hut and chose to stand in the corner of the room, quietly watching on and looked as if one wrong move, one wrong breath would make things worse. Upon seeing his friend's distress SB walked over to the girl and wrapped his arms around the girl, giving her a hug which she accepted straight away and soon found herself sobbing into the crook of his neck as her mind kept drifting over to her friend. 

A loud whine drew everybody's attention. Jemilla's in particular as she immediately rushed to her wife's side to hold her hand, 'I got you Zazz.' 

Zazzalil opened her eyes for the first time since her return and they were only full of fear and pain. 

'It hurts Jemilla...' Zazzalil whined as the tears started to flow freely. 

Jemilla leaned down and brought Zazzalil's hand towards her as gently as possible in order to give it a comforting kiss, 'I know baby. I know. But I've got to get to the wound.'

Zazzalil let out another sob but managed to give a nod of understanding. 

Jemilla gave another comforting kiss before letting go of Zazzalil's hand in order to assess her wounds. 

She carefully peeled back the ripped clothing that was now soaked in her wife's blood causing Zazzalil to cry out loudly in pain. It broke Jemilla's heart to see her wife in such pain but she knew she had to continue because if she stopped now then she knew she couldn't bring herself to try again. 

It quickly became obvious however, where the blood was flowing from as she could make out a large gash that spanned over the majority of Zazzalil's stomach. 

'Okay I can see it. You're doing amazing babe.' Jemilla gave her wife a reassuring smile which was just met by tired, watery eyes. 

Jemilla wasn't ready to lose the woman she loved after she just found her. She knew she had to act quickly. 

'Keeri, go get Ducker and tell him to bring some cloth and those plants he found the other day.' Jemilla said sternly. 

Keeri found herself rooted to the spot as she watched her best friend just lie there, pain etched into her usually carefree face. 

'Keeri! Now!' Jemilla barked, breaking Keeri free from her thoughts. Keeri nodded in acknowledgement feeling more assertive of herself and quickly rushed out of the hut. 

'Jemilla... I'm scared.' Zazzail said timidly. 

Jemilla felt more worried than ever in that moment as Zazzalil would never normally admit fear. 

Jemilla rushed back to Zazzalil's side once more and brushed her wife's off of her sweat-ridden forehead, 'Hey. It's going to be okay, I've got your back remember.' Jemilla smiled softly, trying her best to reassure her wife. 

Zazzalil shivered slightly as a breeze went through the room. Jemilla turned to see that Keeri had returned with Ducker, who was carrying a box with the necessary supplies. 

'Oh lord.' Ducker gulped as he looked at the sight in front of him before moving towards Jemilla.

'I've brought the things you need.' Ducker said, passing the box to his leader. 

'Can you help me?' Jemilla asked. 

'What do you need?.' Ducker offered, not hesitating. 

'She's bleeding and I need you to make that paste you made last week again using the plants.'

Ducker felt confused at the instruction, 'The paste? The one we used to seal the hut roofs?'

'Yeah, I got some on a cut that was on my hand and it healed it somehow. So can you make it again?'

Ducker nodded before taking the plants from the box and began to crush them using a rounded rock and a bowl that was left on the floor. 

Jemilla looked down at her wife and noticed that Zazzalil's eyes were getting heavier. 

'Hey, stay awake Zazz.' Jemilla said, panic starting to creep into her voice. 

Zazzalil forced her eyes open with great effort, 'I'm sleepy J.' She said wearily.

Jemilla knew that wasn't a good sign and she could feel tears starting to form, 'I need you to keep your eyes open for me. Can you do that for me?' She pleaded. 

'Anything for my girl.' Zazzalil said smiling softly as she stared up at her wife. 

Jemilla couldn't hold back the smile at that. 

'Hey when you're all better, we should spend a day together or something. We could do whatever you want, how does that sound?'

'Whatever I want? That's pretty brave J.' Zazzalil smirked. 

'Come on then, use that brilliant mind of yours what should we do?'

Zazzalil didn't get the chance to answer as Ducker came over holding a small bowl containing the paste. He then ushered the SB and Keeri out of the room, who left reluctantly, to give the couple some privacy before he started to prepare bandages using the cloth. 

Now that she had the paste both women knew what was to come next, and neither of them liked the idea. 

Jemilla lifted the ripped part of the dress off of the wound once more causing Zazzalil to wince in pain, her eyes tearing up again. 

'Jemilla.' Zazzalil said aloud hoping the name would serve as comfort. 

'This might sting a little so I'm sorry in advance. Tell me about our day out though.'

'Um I would go to the lake and we could-' Zazzalil winced again as she felt the cold paste being spread across her cut. 

'Could what?' Jemilla asked, trying to distract her wife from the pain as she continued to work. 

'-just sit there and talk or something.' Zazzalil finished. 

Jemilla raised an eyebrow at the thought, 'I can't imagine you sitting still for long.' 

Jemilla worked as quickly and carefully as possible spreading the paste before unrolling a bandage that Ducker had passed to her. 

'We'd go swimming in the lake too.' Zazzalil added. 

'We could do that.' Jemilla said, smiling brightly at the idea as she sat Zazzalil up slightly so she could wrap the bandage around Zazzalil's stomach. 

Zazzalil then suddenly regained her infamous, wicked grin as she lay back down, 'Does that mean you'll take your shirt off?' She teased, wiggling her eyebrows at Jemilla as best as she could. 

'Don't make me hit you Zazz.' Jemilla warned, still smiling though. 

'I thought you were suppose to be the Peacemaker.' Zazzalil teased as she laughed tiredly.

The couple's teasing was interrupted by Ducker who moved to stand in front of Zazzalil, before holding a drink out to her. 

'Zazzalil? Here, drink this. It will help.' Ducker spoke, holding the cup to Zazzalil's lips. 

'It's got a berry in it that helps you sleep.' He explained as he looked at the confused expressions on the couple's faces. 

Zazzalil looked up to Jemilla for support, who gave an encouraging smile.

As soon as the liquid hit her throat Zazzalil grimaced at the bitter taste, swallowing the drink as quickly as possible, 'Gross.' 

Zazzalil appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before her eyes grew heavy once more. 

'Jemilla? I love you.' Zazzalil said sleepily as she closed her eyes. 

Jemilla smiled to herself as she leaned down to place a kiss on Zazzalil's forehead, 'I love you too, my little Firebringer.'

Jemilla watched her wife for a moment as her breathing started to even out. She had never seen her look so relaxed before. 'Will she be alright?' She asked as she turned to Ducker. 

'Well the bleeding has slowed down but we'll have to wait and see. She's also got a pretty bad ankle from the look of it.' 

Jemilla followed his line of sight and realised that Zazzalil's ankle was all purple and swollen. She must have missed it when she was distracted by all the blood. 

'Damn it! How did I miss that?' Jemilla chastised herself. 

'It doesn't look broken, she probably just twisted it when she fell.'

Jemilla nodded in agreement before Ducker continued, 'There's not much more we can do now other than wait and let Zazzalil rest. Besides I think the rest of the tribe will want to know what's happening.'

Jemilla felt reluctant to leave Zazzalil alone but she knew that the tribe would be worrying about Zazzalil as well so she felt obligated to tell them something. 

So Jemilla took a deep breath to compose herself before stepping outside the hut. 

All of the tribe was gathered outside the hut, their faces all etched with worry. Keeri seemed to be crying quietly and SB was still consoling her, alongside Schwoospie and Tiblyn. 

Once they all noticed Jemilla had emerged from the hut they raced towards her, questioning looks on all their faces. 

'Jemilla? Is Zazzalil okay?' Keeri asked, her throat sounding scratchy from crying so much. 

Jemilla put on her brave face before answering as calmly as possible, 'She's going to be fine. The best thing we can do is make sure she gets rest, someone will have to take over her role as hunter for now though.' She asked, casting a gaze over the tribe as she waited for an answer.

'I'll do it.' Grunt volunteered, surprising everyone.

Jemilla gave him a grateful smile, 'Thank you Grunt. 

'We'd better get back to work then so we can make sure the tribe is at its best for when Zazzalil wakes up.' The tribe felt uneasy at the thought of going back to work when Zazzalil was injured but Jemilla knew it would take their minds off of everything. She hoped it would as least bring them some comfort if they believed they were doing it for Zazzalil. 

She sure as hell knew it wouldn't help her however. How could she not think about what she had just seen? 

Afterall it was her Firebringer that was hurt. 

Her wife.

Her Zazzalil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	4. The Reality Of It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reality of what happened begins to sink in for Zazzalil. Can Jemilla find a way to take the pain away?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realise this chapter is shorter than Lauren Lopez and is basically just fluff, angst and me listing the reasons I have a crush on Lauren, but I hope y'all enjoy it anyway!

'How's she doing?' Jemilla asked as she entered the hut, sounding rather breathless as she had rushed to get her work done early in order to see her wife as soon as possible. 

Ducker finished his routine of checking Zazzalil's wounds before answering Jemilla, 'She's still sleeping, but that's helping her body to heal quicker. Her fever has gone which is good but her leg is still very swollen and bruised so try to have her rest it for a while.'

'I don't know if she could sit still for that long.' Jemilla joked, the tension melting off of her as her mind was put at ease.

_Zazzalil was going to be okay._

'You'll know what to do, Peacemaker.' Ducker said, placing a hand on Jemilla's shoulder comfortingly. He then turned and began heading towards the door.

'Ducker?' Jemilla said quietly causing the Shaman to stop and look back towards her.

'Thank you.' 

Ducker gave a small nod of affirmation before exiting, leaving the couple alone in the room.

An air of silence fell over the hut as Jemilla stood next to her wife, listening intently to her steady breaths. 

Jemilla's gaze drifted back over to her wife, who was currently lying on her bed after being moved from the table. 

For once Zazzalil looked almost peaceful as she lay there wrapped in Jemilla's blanket and had it not been the result of an injury then Jemilla may have even described it as being domestic. Which is probably why she soon found that she couldn't stop herself from staring at the girl. 

She felt lost in a daze as she moved closer and began to look at Zazzalil's features in more detail, something which she could never normally do since Zazzalil wouldn't sit still long enough for her to look at her properly. 

Now Jemilla already knew what Zazzalil looked like after knowing the woman for years but since they got married Jemilla found herself looking at Zazzalil in a new light.

And now that she finally had the opportunity to look, she found herself noticing all the things she missed before. 

Like the faint freckles that dotted her Zazzalil's button nose. 

Or the thin, white line that ran along her chin.

Jemilla made a mental note to ask how it got there, and if Zazzalil was hiding any other scars. 

Her gaze soon strayed away from the scar however when she realsied how perfect her wife's jawline was. It was sharp enough to radiate confidence but somehow it still retained a softness that forced Jemilla to resist the urge to run a finger along it. 

_How could someone be so insanely attractive and adorable simultaneously?_

'You finished being creepy yet?' A voice said suddenly, startling Jemilla which caused her to jump back in fright as she was ripped from her thoughts.

Jemilla peered back down at her wife who now currently had one eye open as she smirked wickedly as Jemilla.

'Zazzalil! I thought you were asleep.'

'I was. But I got woken up.' Zazzalil said, propping herself up onto her elbows.

Jemilla suddenly felt guilty, 'Was I being too loud? God I'm so sorry Zazzalil, I didn't mean to-'

'Whoa, calm down J. You didn't wake me up.' Zazzalil interrupted.

'I had a bad dream.' Zazzalil said sheepishly as she started to pick at non-existent bits of fluff on the bed. 

'The fever probably brought that on. Wanna talk about it?' 

Zazzalil contemplated it for a moment before shaking her head, 'Not yet.'

 _Not yet. That's good enough for now._ Jemilla thought. 

'Here I brought you something to eat.' Jemilla said, changing the topic as she walked over to the table and returned with a small bowl of fruit.

Zazzalil practiclly tore the bowl from Jemilla's hands, 'Thanks J, I'm starving.' Jemilla took the opportunity then to sit down on the bed next to Zazzaili.

The bowl of fruit was emptied quickly as Zazzalil devoured all of its contents. Jemilla had to question whether or not the girl had even tasted the food since she basically inhaled it.

Once Zazzalil had finished eating, the room went quiet once more. Neither woman wanting to talk about what had happened.

'I nearly died J...' Zazzalil said almost like a whisper, shattering the silence. 

'Like I could have been killed so easily. One second I'd be here and the next I'd be gone forever.'

The reality of what had happened seemed to have finally sank in as tears began to well up in Zazzalil's eyes.

'Hey. You're alright now. You're safe.' Jemilla said in reassurance as she cupped her wife's face, gently wiping the tears away as they fell.

'I'm sorry Jemilla.' Zazzalil said, her voice breaking as she launched herself into Jemilla's arms, ignoring the searing pain that ran through her body, and enveloped her wife into a tight hug.

'I just didn't want this to be over before it had even started.' Zazzalil said quietly, tears rolling down her face and onto Jemilla's shoulder. 

'You're alive. That's all that matters.' 

Zazzalil's grip on her wife only tightened as all the negative thoughts swam around her mind, filling her with fear. Jemilla could only sit there and rub Zazzalil's back in comfort, wishing that she could take the pain away.


	5. Gotta Look Out For Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just a chapter of fluff where Zazz has to give up a little control and Jemilla discovers a secret talent of Zazzalil's. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :)

'What are you doing?' Jemilla asked as she strode into the hut.

She had been gone just under an hour to deal with the tribe and was now met by the sight of her wife awkwardly half sitting/half kneeling on the dirt floor.

After being caught Zazzalil could only give a small smile and an awkward laugh as she tried to think of a way out of this one.

Unfortunately for Zazzalil, Jemilla wasn't in the mood to be tested as she spent the past hour trying to keep the tribe at bay, so she currently had a face that rivalled thunder.

So for once in her life, Zazzalil knew when to give up.

She raised an arm towards Jemilla in order to save an argument and as an offer of compromise as she hated asking for help. 

Jemilla huffed but extended her hand in acceptance as she helped her wife get back onto her feet before carefully guiding her to sit back down on the bed. 

Zazzalil never got the chance to make herself comfortable because as soon as she sat down, Jemilla glared down at her with a look that Zazzalil was all too familar with. 

_The 'You're really in trouble now' look._

'What the hell were you thinking Zazz? If you fell and hit your head, no one would have been there to help you.' Jemilla snapped, feeling annoyed with her wife's behaviour; although in reality her anger just stemmed from a place of worry and concern over her wife's wellbeing. 

'I'm losing my mind being stuck in here J. I've been here forever.' Zazzalil said in an attempt to reason with her wife. 

'You've been here two days.' Jemilla replied as deadpan as humanly possible.

'That's forever.' Zazzalil whined.

Jemilla couldn't hold back the eye roll even if she tried. 

'Come on J, I just wanted to go outside for a bit.' Zazzalil pleaded, her bottom lip pouting as her face started to resemble a puppy begging for food.

_How could Jemilla say no to that face?_

Jemilla beamed a wide, sly grin as she formulated a plan. Afterall she couldn't just give in to Zazzalil without having a little fun.

'Fine you can go outside...'

Zazzalil smiled widely at the thought of the fresh air.

'...but I'll have carry you.' Jemilla said assertively.

Zazzalil huffed in disbelief at the notion, 'What? You're not actually going to carry me, are you?' 

Jemilla suppressed the urge to smirk at her wife as she revelled in the shocked look on Zazzalil's face. 

_She can't actually be taking me seriously, right?_ Jemila pondered. 

'Well you can't walk on that leg so I can either carry you or leave you inside all day. Your choice.' Jemilla said, sounding certain that Zazzalil would much rather stay put then suffer the humiliation.

'Fine.' Zazzalil sighed.

Jemilla eyes widened in disbelief as she watched her trick backfire. 

_Dammit. Now I've got to actually go through with this stupid idea._

Jemilla sighed as she placed an arm around Zazzalil's back and another underneath her bent knees, being carefully to avoid jarring the girl too much as she picked her off the bed bridal style. 

'You alright?' Jemilla asked, trying not to notice how close she was to Zazzalil. 

'Yeah. I'm not too heavy for you?' 

'You're kidding right? You're tiny. It's like holding a baby.' Jemilla said scoffing.

'I'm not that small!' Zazzalil exclaimed, although they both knew that Zazzalil was... vertically challenged to put it politely. 

_And to put it less politely..._

__

__

_Zazzalil was short as fuck._

'And please don't mention babies, I'm still hungry.' 

Jemilla chuckled softly at her wife's remark before carefully walking out of the hut. 

She looked around for a second before deciding to place the girl down on a nearby rock that overlooked the river. 

Once she was safely back on the ground Zazzalil took a deep breath in as she closed her eyes, 'God I've missed being outside.'

'You want to go to the others yet?' Jemilla asked. 

Zazzalil thought for a moment before opening her eyes once more, 'Not yet. Can it just be me and you for now?'

Jemilla couldn't contain the smile she got at thought of Zazzalil choosing to spend more time with her, 'Yeah that's fine. You alright?'

'Yeah I'm just happy I'm not cooped up inside anymore.' Zazzalil answered honestly.

'Yeah I can imagine it drives you a little crazy.'

'Right? I know we spent most of our lives stuck inside a cave but it doesn't mean I liked it.'

Sadness crept onto Jemilla's face as she looked deep in thought, 'I can't believe how much time we spent hiding away in that cave when we could have been free all along.'

Zazzalil felt a wave of guilt and she regretted mentioning the cave. She knew she had to make her wife feel better somehow.

'It wasn't all bad though J. Like do you remember when we were younger and that lizard snuck into the cave and we watched SB and Schwoopsie trying to catch it and it just kept running away.' Zazzalil said, hoping for a reaction. 

Jemilla smiled at memory, 'Yeah, and the reason they couldn't get it was because Keeri kept getting in the way to stop everyone from going after it.'

'I'm pretty sure she jumped on SB's back just to slow him down at one point.'

The couple both laughed at that particular memory as neither one wished to forget the look on SB's face when Keeri launched herself at him.

'How did we manage to get rid of it in the end?' Zazzalil asked, sounding genuinely curious.

'Emberly lured it out with some leaves. It only took her a couple of minutes and it was gone.'

'Maybe I should've tried that with you. We might have left the cave sooner that way.' Zazzalil teased causing Jemilla to nudge her gently with an elbow. 

'I guess the cave wasn't all that bad then.'

'No but it still doesn't beat all this.' Zazzalil said, gesturing to the beautiful surroundings around them.

'Maybe not. And this is just the start Zazz, just think of the progress we'll make in a couple of month, a year perhaps? Anything is possible.' Jemilla said, hopeful for a bright future.

'Even a trip to the lake?' Zazzalil asked.

'Maybe wait until the leg is healed and then we'll see.'

'Fine.' Zazzalil relented, 'How long do you think it will take to heal?'

'I'm not sure. Ducker says you're doing well though so that's a good sign. You just need to rest it.'

'But resting is boring. I want to go and explore, make new discoveries, terrorize the tribe a little and I can't do that from inside a hut.' Zazzalil said whining like a child once more.

'Zazz you can do all them things later on. Well maybe not all them things but you need to rest.'

Zazzalil only crossed her arms and sighed as she began to sulk. 

'What if I helped you?' Jemilla offered.

'With what?'

'Getting around the village and I also could help you do your everyday stuff.'

Zazzalil pulled a face at the thought, 'I don't know. I'd feel stupid having you do things for me.' She said sounding unconvinced. 

Jemilla's face softened at her wife's honesty as she reached over to take Zazzalil's hands into her own,

'Zazz, you're my wife. This is what marriage is for, helping one another when one of us needs it most.'

Jemilla squeezed Zazzalil hands to emphasize her point and gave her a reassuring smile.

'Okay.' Zazzalil said, blushing slightly under Jemilla gaze. 

'Good. Besides you never got a chance to move in so this can be a good opportunity for you to get settled in.' Jemilla said, smiling widely at the thought of finally moving in with her wife.

'Come on, I'll take you back to the hut.' 

Jemilla said as she stood up, brushing off the dust on her legs, before offering a hand to Zazzalil. 

'Can I hop instead? I won't put weight on the bad leg I promise.'

Jemilla contemplated the idea but the wishful look on her wife's face made the decision for her, so she nodded curtly and pulled her wife up until she stood on her good leg.

Zazzalil then threw an arm over her wife's shoulder for balance, which was easier said than done really since Zazzalil was a lot shorter than Jemilla so she stood at an awkward angle. 

Noticing her struggle, Jemilla bent her knees slightly to reduce the height difference and wrapped an arm around Zazzalil's waist to give her support. 

Together the pair managed to hobble slowly back towards the hut. 

The pace may have been slow but it was obvious that it still drained Zazzalil as she was panting heavily from a combination of exhaustion and the aching pain that radiated from her stomach. 

Jemilla made no comment as she helped her wife walk but she still felt worried over her wife's condition. Especially as she noticed how warm and  clammy Zazzalil was becoming. 

It took some time but eventually the pair made it safely back inside the hut and both sat ontop of the furs that covered the makeshift bed. 

The pair sat quietly together until Zazzalil's breathing returned to normal. 

'So if you're staying here tonight, is there anything from your hut you want fetching?' Jemilla asked, breaking the comfortable silence. 

Zazzalil consider the offer for a moment, 'Uh... maybe? There's some things wrapped up in cloth that I need.' She asked hesitantly. 

'Okay I'll go get them. Don't move until I get back.'

Jemilla rose from the bed and swiftly left the hut once more. 

'Like I've got much choice.' Zazzalil said to herself sarcasticly, although Jemilla still managed to catch it causing her to smile. 

As Jemilla walked into the village square, all eyes were suddenly on her as the tribe left their tasks to run to Jemilla. 

Of course the tribespeople all had a million questions each but Jemilla was able to quieten them all evetually. 

'Look, I know you're all worried about Zazzalil but she's going to be alright so you can all put your minds at ease. I also know that you all want to see her but what she needs right now is rest so you'll  have to wait a little while. Can you all do that for her?'

Jemilla concluded her speech, watching the tribe to try and gauge their reactions.

'We can do that. For Zazzalil.' Keeri announced unexpectedly from the back of the group, as she looked to her friends for their support. 

After a few moments the rest of the tribe all aired their agreements, which caused Jemilla to give them all a grateful smile as they slowly disbanded and returned to complete their tasks. 

'Thank you.' Jemilla mouthed to Keeri before walking towards Zazzalil's hut.

* * *

'Woah.' Jemilla said, her jaw dropping as she entered her wife's hut. 

In the short time that the couple had been married Jemilla never had the chance to see Zazzalil's hut.

Unsurprisingly it was a complete disorganized mess with spare clothes, trinkets and half-built inventions covering the floor. 

The room matched Zazzalil perfectly. 

What did surpise Jemilla however was the drawings that lay scattered across the worktable and were pinned onto the wooden walls.

Since Grunt's arrival the tribe had gained the ability to draw and paint. Grunt, along with Emberly's help, had even given everybody a basic lesson on how to mix different items to create a variety of colours. 

Whilst Jemilla struggled to grasp the whole concept of using your imagination to create something from nothing, Zazzalil seemed to flourish with the creativity of it all. 

It seemed to be the only thing that Zazzalil had ever taken seriously before as Jemilla often saw her wife asking Grunt for tips and ideas. (She would never admit to such a thing of course, as she wouldn't want to lose her laidback reputation.)

From the drawings and artwork that surrounded the room it was obvious that Zazzalil had actually done some work without being forced to. 

The drawings ranged from simple pictures of things like fruit and spears, to designs of inventions that Jemilla had no idea about. 

What caught Jemilla's eye the most however, was a sketch of a woman.

It had been drawn with a lot more detail than any previous drawings, suggesting that Zazzalil had spent a lot of time on this piece in particular. 

The drawing had even been shaded in lightly to give the figure wonderful, dark curly hair and warm eyes...

_Wait... is that me? Is that what I look like?_

Jemilla tried to think back to all those trips to the river when she was able to see her reflection.

She moved closer towards the drawing which rested on top of the table. 

Suddenly pain spread throughout Jemilla's foot causing her to wince in pain. 

'Dammit Zazzalil!' Jemilla winced as she looked down to see that she had stood on a discarded spear head that was hidden by clothing that lay on the floor.

As she moved the clothing out of the way a small bag fell out, its contents spilling onto the floor.

Jemilla quickly realised that this was the bag Zazzalil had asked her to get, so she quickly moved to pick up the scattered contents but paused when she realised what the bag actually contained.

'Oh Zazz.' Jemilla whispered softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	6. You're Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemilla learns some surprising truths about Zazzalil and comforts her when she falls apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I told y'all that this was going to be an emotional rollercoaster and this chapter has got more angst than Harry freakin' Potter himself, but don't worry there's plenty of fluffy moments to balance it all out. 
> 
> Anyway hope y'all enjoy:)

'You get lost?' Zazzalil said sarcastically, a smirk plastered on her face as Jemilla entered the hut. 

'Here's your stuff.' Jemilla said curtly as she passed the bag to her wife. 

Jemilla couldn't bring herself to look at Zazzalil, as the guilt began to wash over her. 

Noticing her wife's odd behaviour Zazzalil appeared confused for a moment before she came to a realisation, 'Did you look in it?' Zazzalil asked tentatively. 

Jemilla eyes widened at the question, 'Not on purpose I swear. I dropped the bag and-'

Zazzalil was quick to cut off her wife's rambling, '-hey chill out J. It's okay. I don't mind you seeing it. We are married remember? No more secrets.'

Jemilla let out a sigh of relief as the thought of hurting her wife felt more painful than anything else. 

Now that Jemilla knew she was safe, she moved to sit back down on the bed next to her wife, their knees touching. 

Zazzalil opened the small pouch to reveal a elegant talisman made of wood that had been intricately designed with a spiralled pattern and adorned with small gemstones of every colour. 

Carefully, Zazzalil picked the talisman up and held it tenderly in her hands. Jemilla watched her wife stare at the object intensely.

'It's beautiful. It was your father's, right?' Jemilla asked, breaking Zazzalil's trance with the object. 

Zazzalil simply nodded, 'Mother made it for him before she left for the war. She said it was supposed to ward off bad spirits or something, it was meant to keep him safe until she came home.'

Zazzalil turned the talisman in her hands absentmindedly as she became lost in her thoughts. 

'It worked though I guess. He lived through the war and survived... but she wasn't as lucky as him.'

Jemilla didn't quite know how to react to that. 

Despite the loss of her own parents, she never really had a chance to know them in order to miss their presence, so she was currently in unknown territory. 

'How old were you when she died?' Jemilla asked softly.

'About 7 years old.'

Zazzalil took a shaky breath before continuing, 'After that day my father wasn't the same. He didn't smile as bright anymore or sing me to sleep at night. He just wasn't himself anymore, he wasn't thinking clearly either. So when he ran into Trunkell, he wasn't prepared at all.'

Jemilla's heart broke at the story and she coulr feel her eyes beginning to well up but she knew she had to be strong for Zazzalil. 

'I'm so sorry Zazzalil.' Jemilla said as she turned to wrap her wife in a tight hug. 

'It's fine. You can't change the past.' Zazzalil murmured, her face nuzzled into the crook of Jemilla's neck. 

'Hey.' Jemilla said, leaning back from the hug and moving to hold her wife's free hand. 

'Thank you for telling me about your parents. I know you don't like to talk about them much.'

'Thanks for listening. It felt nice to talk about them again.' Zazzalil said, a sad smile appearing on her face as she wrapped the amulet back up and placed it to one side.

'I'm glad.' Jemilla reassured, giving her wife's hands a final squeeze before standing up. 

'So uh, I guess it's time for bed then?' Zazzalil asked almost nervously as she watched Jemilla begin to tidy the hut and light a small candle, a recent invention of Zazzalil's, in order to illuminate the room. 

'I guess so.'

'Okay. Good. Time for bed it is.' Zazzalil said awkwardly. 

'Are you alright with sharing?' Jemilla asked nonchantly.

'Yes!' Zazzalil practically yelled, causing Jemilla to jump slightly and turn to face her.

Realising that her behaviour could be described as odd Zazzalil tried to backtrack.

'I mean yeah sure. Whatever.' Zazzalil mumbled, trying to sound as casual as possible. 

Jemilla began to smirk as she came to a realisation, 'Zazzalil.... Are you nervous?'

'Me, nervous!? Are you crazy?' Zazzalil stuttered out causing Jemilla's smile to widen further. 

'Oh my god, you actually are nervous. We're just sharing a bed Zazz.' 

'I know that.' Zazzalil said curtly. 

Jemilla couldn't help but laugh softly at the anxious expression on her wife's face as she had never seen this side of Zazzalil before.

'What?' Zazzalil asked, feeling a little self-conscious under Jemilla's gaze. 

'You're pretty cute when you're nervous.' Jemilla said as she moved to get her night clothes from the tabletop, her back turned towards Zazzalil. 

Zazzalil laughed nervously at the compliment, her face feeling warm all of a sudden, 'Uh, thanks? I guess.'

'I'll just get changed then.' 

Zazzalil's eyes widened at the thought but she didn't have the chance to respond as she suddenly found herself staring at Jemilla's bare back. 

Once she realised what was happening she shut her eyes tightly and placed her hands over the top as an extra layer of safety. 

'You can open your eyes, you know.'

Zazzalil peeked between her fingers tentatively, afraid of the possibility that her wife was tricking her. 

Quickly Zazzalil discovered that she wasn't lying. 

Instead Jemilla stood in front of her wife, her hands planted firmly on her hips and a smirk plastered on her face. Jemilla shook her head at her wife's reaction before turning to pick up something off the table.

'I forgot to get you a change of clothes so you'll have to borrow mine.' Jemilla informed as she handed a nightdress to Zazzalil. 

'Sure. Thanks.'

'Do you want any help getting changed?' Jemilla asked cautiously as her wife's injuries crept into her mind. 

'I can do it.' Zazzalil said confidently as she moved to pull off her dress, she stopped suddenly however, as she realised Jemilla hadn't moved from her position in front of her. 

'Can you... you know?' Zazzalil mimed a turning motion with her hand. 

'You know, I didn't think you were even capable of being shy.' Jemilla teased as she turned around.

'I'm not shy!' Zazzalil exclaimed. 

'Tell that to the blush on your face.' Jemilla said smugly. 

Worried that a blush had crept up onto her face, Zazzalil raised a hand to feel if her face felt warm. 

'You just checked for one didn't you?' Jemilla said interrupting Zazzalil's thoughts, sounding more smug than ever.

Zazzalil quickly moved her hand away from her face and scowled at Jemilla's back, 'Shut up.'

Jemilla smiled to herself as she imagined the pouting look that her wife had. 

Then the sound of rustling could be heard as Zazzalil began to get changed. 

Jemilla could only stand there, staring blankly at the wall as the reality of the day's events were beginning to set in. 

It seemed to be a day of firsts for both Jemilla and her wife, as she discovered so much about Zazzalil that she never knew before. 

She never knew how sad and frightened Zazzalil could be, or that all the bravado that the girl put on was merely a defense mechansim. It was the first time that Jemilla had seen the girl that vulnerable before and Jemilla felt almost honoured that her wife was comfortable enough to share such personal information with her. 

The revelations weren't all sad though. 

Jemilla had also seen a side to Zazzalil that she couldn't have even imagined. She had found that Zazzalil wasn't nearly as confident as she made out to be, and was actually a rather shy and thoughtful woman who had built walls to hide this more vulnerable side. But now that Jemilla had seen this part of her wife, she found herself falling in love deeper and faster than she thought. 

Whilst Jemilla didn't mind thinking about all of the things that made Zazzalil so special, it seemed that she had been staring at the blank wall for some time now. 

She was about to ask if everything was alright when Zazzalil's voice rang out, 'Jemilla?'

'Yeah?' 

'I need your help.' Zazzalil said reluctantly, sighing loudly. 

Jemilla took the request as permission to turn back around and she was met by an unexpected sight. 

Zazzalil sat on the bed awkwardly, her dress half-on and half-off as it found itself bunched up stuck around her torso, and the top of the dress covering her head. Luckily Zazzalil's underwear and chest bindings had remained securely in place, stopping Zazzalil from completely losing all of her dignity.

Jemilla couldn't help the laugh that slipped out of her mouth as looked at the mess her wife had gotten herself into. 

'Lift your arms.' Jemilla said, moving to untangle the dress and lift it off of Zazzalil. 

'Ow!' Zazzalil yelped as she raised her arms further to aid Jemilla. 

Jemilla felt herself wincing in sympathy with her wife, 'Sorry. Nearly done.' And with a final pull, Zazzalil was freed from her entanglement. 

Now that her wife was without a top, Jemilla's eyes were drawn back to the bandages that were wrapped tightly around her torso. 

'I should probably change that bandage whilst I'm here.' Jemilla offered, trying to focus on a task and not let her mind, or eyes for that matter, roam elsewhere. 

Zazzalil's eyes widened at the offer as she gave a reluctant, 'Um...' 

'Oh.'

Jemilla cursed herself for just assuming that Zazzalil would be fine with that, 'Only if you're comfortable with that I mean, I can go get Ducker if you wan-'

'-No! You don't need to get Ducker. He's probably asleep by now anyway. You can do it.' 

Jemilla gave a soft smile before sitting next to her wife once more. The pair shuffled around awkwardly, both trying to make the other feel comfortable.

Once the couple had gotten comfortable, Jemilla moved her hands towards the bandages and hesitantly began undoing the knot that kept the badage secure. It took a couple of attempts to undo it since her hands shook slightly, causing the pair to try and brush of the nerves with nervous laughter. Eventually the knot loosened and came undone easily, then once it was loose enough Jemilla was able to unwind the cloth from around Zazzalil's stomach. 

Jemilla hoped it wasn't noticable how flushed she felt when her hand accidently brushed against bare skin, and Zazzalil prayed that Jemilla hadn't noticed how her whole body tensed up when she did. 

After the bandages fell away, all that remained was a small gauze pad that Ducker had put the salve on earlier. 

'I think those plants worked, it doesn't look as angry anymore.' Jemilla concluded. 

Zazzalil peered down at the wound and saw that the cut appeared less swollen and red, 'Still hurts like a motherfuc-'

'-Ow!' Zazzalil winced as Jemilla began wiping away the remaining salve with a clean part of the gauze. 

'There, all done.' Jemilla said as she removed the last remenants of the mixture, her hand lingering over the cut as she stared at the wound before her gaze shifted to the toned stomach that surrounding the cut. 

Jemilla felt tempted to run her hand along the toned abdomen in front of her when she was pulled from her thoughts, 'Jemilla?' 

Jemilla's head snapped back up and she met her wife's gaze, an amused look on her face. 

'Shit. Sorry.' Jemilla apologised as she knew that she had been caught staring, which caused her to pull back from her wife swiftly, her face turning red. 

'Now who's blushing.' Zazzalil teased. 

'Can you blame me? It's hard not to when there's a pretty girl in front of me.'

'You think I'm pretty?' Zazzalil said shyly. 

Jemilla nodded, her smile beaming widely as she looked at Zazzalil adoringly, 'The prettiest.'

Zazzalil couldn't contain her smile at the compliment and raised a hand to cup Jemilla's face before leaning in to kiss her wife.

The kiss quickly grew more passionate as Jemilla moved to free Zazzalil's hair from its ponytail before running her hands through the long hair, causing Zazzalil to smile into the kiss. 

As the pair continued to make out, Jemilla felt her wife starting to shiver occasionally. Jemilla then broke away from the kiss causing Zazzalil to lean foward slightly as she tried to reclaim Jemilla's lips. 

Once she realised that Jemilla wasn't going to continue the kiss, Zazzalil let out a whine and pouted at the loss of contact. 

'You should probably put a shirt on before it gets cold.' Jemilla reasoned leaning in to give Zazzalil a peck on the lips, causing Zazzalil to look down and realise she was still just in her underwear.

'Probably.' Zazzalil agreed shivering more as she started to feel the chill now that it had been pointed out to her. 

Jemilla leaned down and picked up the discarded nightdress that has she had fetched earlier off of the floor. 

With a little help from her wife, Zazzalil was able to slide the nightdress over her head easily.

'What?' Zazzalil asked, once she noticed the amused look Jemilla had. 

'You're just so tiny.' Jemilla joked as she looked at her wife, who was currently buried in the nightdress that was far too big for her, the bottom of it going way past her kneecaps. 

'Hey! You're the weird one here with those stupid legs that go on forever!' Zazzalil exclaimed in mock annoyance. 

'Whatever you say, babe.' Jemilla said, rolling her eyes as she lay down onto the bed furs.

Zazzalil felt her heart flutter at the term of endearment. 

'Aren't you going to lie down? I won't bite, you know.'

Zazzalil lowered herself down until her and Jemilla lay side by side next to each other. It was something that felt closer and more intimate than the couple had ever done before, and both women could feel their heartbeats beating out of their chests. 

'Goodnight Zazzalil.' 

'Jemilla?' 

Zazzalil turned to look at her wife, 'Thank you. For everything.'

'Anything for you Zazz.' Jemilla said sincerely.

'I would too, you know?'

'Hm?' Jemilla questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

'Do anything for you too. I just want you to know that.'

Jemilla's heart melted at the honesty and compassion her wife was showing. 

'Night babe.' Jemilla said, leaning over to give Zazzalil another chaste kiss. 

'Night J.' Zazzalil said, smiling to herself before blowing out the small candle next to the bed.

* * *

A loud thump caused Jemilla to stir from her sleep. She quickly felt beside her in the hopes to find the warm, sleeping body of her wife laying next to her but instead she was met with a cold space where Zazzalil was supposed to be. 

'Zazz?' Jemilla asked groggily. 

When she didn't get a response, she sat up in the bed and saw a figure laying sprawled out on the floor, pulling her way towards the door. 

'Zazzalil!' Jemilla cried out, throwing the furs off her and quickly moving to crouch next to her wife and hold her. 

'I can't breathe! I need to get out!' Zazzalil shouted, her eyes darting around the room as she flailed wildly. 

'It's not real. It's just a dream.' Jemilla reassured, her grip on her wife tightening in the hopes of getting through to her. 

'Jemilla?' Zazzalil choked out, her eyes no longer moving rapidly.

Jemilla nodded causing Zazzalil to throw herself into Jemilla's arms, gripping onto her wife tighter than ever as the tears began to fall freely down her face. 

'I got you.' Jemilla whispered, rubbing Zazzalil's back comfortingly as the girl sobbed. 

'Come on, let's get you back to bed.' Jemilla said wrapping her arms around her wife before picking Zazzalil up, causing the shorter girl to wrap her legs around Jemilla's waist as she let herself be carried once more. 

Jemilla continued to comfort the girl for some time before her sobs were reduced to the occasional hiccup. 

'Want to talk about it?' Jemilla asked quietly. 

Zazzalil took a shaky breath before nodding, 'You know that Trunkell killed my father right?'

Jemilla nodded in affirmation. 

'Well, I didn't tell you that... I was there that day too.'

'You were?' Jemilla said, sounding shocked.

'My father went to fetch water and I wanted to go with him. In the end I practically had to beg him to let me go. We got there and everything was going fine until Trunkell showed up. My father told me to run so I did. I just ran away and left him. Like a coward.' Zazzalil's voice radiated bitterness with the last part.

'Zazzalil you were a child.' Jemilla reasoned, hoping she could make her wife see reason. 

'I still could've done something to save him.' Zazzalil argued. 

'Anyway,' Zazzalil continued, 'I ran into this small cave by the river and I didn't move from there for 2 days before Molag eventually found me. Ever since then I don't like being in small spaces.'

That's when it all clicked into place for Jemilla. 

'That's why you wanted to sleep next to the door. So you wouldn't feel trapped?' Jemilla questioned.

'Yeah. Sorry if I freaked you out.' Zazzalil said sheepishly. 

'You could never do that. We're in this together, remember?'

'I guess we are.' Zazzalil said, smiling softly. 

'What?' Jemilla asked as she noticed the look of adoration her wife was giving her. 

'You're just pretty great Jemilla.'

'You're such an idiot.' Jemilla teased, rolling her eyes at Zazzalil. 

'I'm your idiot though.'

Jemilla snorted at that thought, 'Yeah you are and I still married you, so I wonder what that says about me?'

'It says that you have great taste in women.' Zazzalil joked, causing Jemilla to chuckle under her breath. 

'The very best.' Jemilla said, brushing the hair out of Zazzalil's face before the couple lay back down onto the bed.

Not wanting to be apart again, Zazzalil took the opportunity to rest her head on Jemilla's chest and wrap an arm across her waist. 

Zazzalil peered up at her wife with a questioning look that asked if Jemilla was alright with the gesture. 

Jemilla chose to not reply verbally and instead just wrapped her arms around Zazzalil. 

'Night babe.' Zazzalil yawned, before  sighing contently as she snuggled into the warmth of Jemilla's chest. 

'Goodnight my love.' Jemilla whispered as she leaned down to place a kiss on the top of Zazzalil's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated:)


	7. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zazzalil and Jemilla being cute together and the tribe welcomes their leader back.

It wasn't really a surprise that Jemilla couldn't fall asleep in the night. How could she after what had happened? She knew how important proper sleep could be in improving injuries so she had spent the night making sure that her wife found herself in a deep slumber. 

For the most part, Zazzalil had slept through the night pretty well. But a couple of times in the night, Jemilla found herself rocking Zazzalil gently and whispering comforting words in order to soothe her shaking and whimpering body that cried out during the night.

Sometimes Zazzalil would cry for her father in the hopes he would come back to her, other times it was Zazzalil who begged for her life as she was plagued by the fear for her life instead. 

On one occasion however, Jemilla was surprised by the mention of her own name. But from the panicked tone of Zazzalil's voice, it wasn't being said in the context that Jemilla wished it was. So she just held her wife tightly and hoped that she reassured her of her presence. 

'Morning.' A voice said sleepily, pulling Jemilla from her thoughts. 

'Morning babe.' Jemilla replied as she looked down at the figure that was snuggled as close to her as possible.

'This is nice.' Zazzalil sighed happily as she wrapped her arms tighter around Jemilla's waist. 

Jemilla smiled down at Zazzalil before a sudden reminder of her neglected responsibilites came to mind, resulting in her starting to pry Zazzalil's hands from her waist. 

'It's really nice Zazz but I've been away from the tribe for so long now, so I should probably-'

'-stay right here with me.' Zazzalil murmured sleepily, tightening her grip to stop Jemilla moving. 

'Zazzalil.' Jemilla said as sternly as she could, but the smile on her face erased any seriousness.

'Come on, they've survived this long without your constant supervision so I think they could survive another morning.' Zazzalil reasoned, batting her eyelashes dramatically. 

Jemilla sighed loudly as she lay back down, 'Fine. You win.' 

'Of course I do, I'm the best.'

'Whatever you say Zazz.' Jemilla chuckled. 

Jemilla's thoughts shifted once more onto Zazzalil's condition, 'How do you feel?' 

'My stomach feels itchy more than anything and my ankle is aching again, but it's better than before.'

'I'm glad because I was wondering if you wanted to go out and do something today?' Jemilla said hopefully. 

Zazzalil gave her wife a pointed look, 'Damn J. Breaking all the rules today! What happened to you needing to go back and lead the tribe?'

'You need me more right now.' Jemilla said, leaning foward to kiss the tip of Zazzalil's nose. 

'Besides I think you might go crazy if you have to stay cooped up another day.'

Zazzalil laughed a little at that, 'So what do you want to do then?'

'Well I bet the lake is nice today.' 

'I don't know Zazz. The journey might be a little too far for us.'

'Oh.' 

'But maybe if we start out with something a little closer to home we could build up to it?'

'Okay.' 

'Hey I know. Why don't we go and see everyone instead? They've been dying to see you for days.' Jemilla suggested, hoping that Zazzalil would take the offer so she could put the tribe at ease again. 

'I guess it would be nice to see Keeri again.'

'That's the spirit.' 

'Am I alright checking your wounds again?' Jemilla asked as she moved to sit up. 

Zazzalil nodded and lifted her shirt up so Jemilla could check the wound. 

Now that the wound had 'gotten some air around it' the redness had seemed to disappear and all that was left now was three jagged lines. 

Jemilla traced a finger alongside the marks without thinking, the movement caused Zazzalil to jerk slightly and sharply inhale but this time it wasn't due to pain. 

No this was something else. 

Jemilla smirked widely as she came to a realisation. 

'What?' Zazzalil asked once she saw the look on her wife's face. 

'You're ticklish aren't you?' Jemilla said matter of factly. 

'No!' Zazzalil said too quickly. 

'Really?' Jemilla raised a questioning eyebrow and her smirk grew even wider as she stuck her hands into Zazzalil's sides, careful to avoid the wounds, and began to tickle her relentlessly. 

Zazzalil began howling with laughter as she writhed under Jemilla, desperate to get away. 

'Stop! Stop! I give up!' Zazzalil cried out, tears from laughter rolling down her face. 

After a few more seconds Jemilla relented and Zazzalil's laughter died down to a breathless chuckle. 

'Still not ticklish?' Jemilla teased.

Zazzalil couldn't find the strength to reply so she simply stuck her tongue out at her wife as though she was a child. 

Still smiling, Jemilla got up off the bed and fetched some clean clothes from the table. 

With her back to Zazzalil, Jemilla quickly stripped off her nightdress which left her just in her underwear. 

This time however, Zazzalil didn't look away and instead stared at her wife's toned physique unashamedly. The embarrassment from the night before seemingly worn off. 

Jemilla cast a quick glance over her shoulder to look at Zazzalil and once she noticed her gaze, she winked at her. 

Zazzalil felt herself blush a little at the gesture, but this time she didn't care as she felt like the luckiest girl in the world since marrying Jemilla. 

Once her wife had finished getting ready for the day, it was Zazzalil's turn to get ready. 

Jemilla helped her to dress again although this time Zazzalil accepted the help right away, her nervousness gone. 

'Ready?' Jemilla asked once the pair had finished getting dressed. 

Zazzalil nodded in response and Jemilla took it as a cue to walk over to her wife and help her up. 

Unable to stand on both feet yet, Zazzalil found herself throwing an arm around Jemilla's shoulder so that she could lean against her wife and take the weight off her injured ankle. 

Once the pair had adjusted their stances and were comfortable they began to leave the hut, Zazzalil hobbling as best as she could and Jemilla giving her as much time as she needed. 

Bright sunlight streamed into the hut, blinding the couple momentarily as Jemilla pushed the fur pelt that acted as a makeshift door to one side with her free hand. 

As the pair shuffled into the village Zazzalil took a good look at the progress that had occurred during her recovery. 

Since the tribe couldn't visit their friend, the only thing left for them to do was work. This meant that in the days Zazzalil had spent recuperating, many things had changed. 

All of the huts had been completed, with some tribe member even starting to make improvements and adjustments as they saw fit in order to make the huts more resilient. 

The tribe was working on said improvements when the couple emerged from the hut. 

It didn't take long for their presence to be noticed by the tribe and the two leaders found themselves quickly surrounded by relieved tribe members who were all eager to speak to their injured friend. 

'Whoa guys! One at a time, she's still recovering don't forget.' Jemilla reminded the tribe as sternly as she could but a smile soon crept onto her face when she saw Zazzalil beaming at all the attention she was getting. 

The tribe did seem to listen to Jemilla's order though as the they all quietened down, their excitable energy still managing to radiate from them all as they smiled widely at their newly appointed leader.

'How are you feeling Zazz?' Keeri's voice rang out as Zazzalil moved to stand on her own, being careful not to put much weight on her foot of course. 

'Better now that I've seen you guys. I missed you all.' 

'We missed you too Zazzalil.' Emberly said as she placed a hand on Zazzalil's shoulder affectionately causing her to smile again. 

Keeri's face suddenly lit up with realisation, 'Oh that reminds me. SB go and get that thing for Zazzalil.'

SB smiled knowingly before running off into ones of the huts. 

Zazzalil gave a questioning look to her wife, but Jemilla just shrugged her shoulders. 

It was long until SB returned to the group carrying a long wooden stick, 'Here you go Zazz.'

'Uh? Thanks for the stick, I guess?' Zazzalil said sounding confused as she held the stick in her hand. 

Keeri laughed a little at her friend's reaction, 'It's not just a stick Zazz. In Chorn's vision I saw something like this being used for people who've been hurt. It's called a crutch and you can used it to help you walk around, you just put it under your arm so you can lean on it.'

Zazzalil smiled at the thought of her tribe actually inventing something to help her, 'Cool. Let me try it out.'

Zazzalil put the crutch under her arm and leaned on it like Keeri said, and found that the crutch took the weight off her foot but still let her move around. 

'Hey it actually works!' Zazzalil exclaimed as took a few steps.

'Thanks guys. That was really sweet of you.' Jemilla said, feeling rather proud of how considerate the tribe had become and how the had actually used their initiative. 

_Perhaps they don't get the credit they actually deserve._

'Anything for family.' SB said proudly as he did his infamous chest thump.

'Hey Jemilla, you know what this means?' Zazzalil asked.

'What?' 

'We can go to the lake now.'

Jemilla felt unsure about the idea, 'I don't know-'

She didn't have the chance to finish her thought as Schwoopsie interuppted, 'The lake? That's an awesome idea, can we all go?'

All heads turned to Jemilla, eagerly waiting for an answer.

'Well...' Jemilla began but Zazzalil turned to her wife and gave her best puppy dog look, bottom lip quivering and everything.

Jemilla sighed in defeat. 

'Fuck it. We're all going.'

Cheers and whoops rang out as the tribe felt excited at the thought of spending the warm spring afternoon at the lake. 

'I'll stay behind and keep an eye on the village.' A voice said from behind the tribe. 

Jemilla turned to see who had spoken and found that Molag had returned once more. 

'Are you sure? You can come with us if you want.'

'Nah I'm getting too old for a journey like that. Besides someone needs to make sure no one burns the village down... again.'

The tribe all chuckled slightly at that. 

'Okay. Everyone go and get ready. We'll meet back here in 10 minutes.'

And with that, the tribe soon scrambled back to their huts and gathered whatever they needed for the outing ahead of them. 

Zazzalil began hobbling back to the hut as fast as she could, Jemilla trailing behind her. 

As soon as the pair got in the hut. They began preparing for the journey, Jemilla being the practical one was packing a bag with supplies like food and some medicinal herbs just in case. 

Zazzalil on the other hand was just shoving all the food she could find into her knapsack causing Jemilla to roll her eyes at her wife's love of food. 

'Jemilla?' Zazzalil said, putting an apple into her bag. 

'Yeah?'

'This is the best day ever. Thank you.' Zazzalil smiled as she limped over to her wife and gave her a tight hug. 

The pair soon packed everything they needed and headed back out into the village. 

Once everyone had returned Jemilla spoke, 'Ready? Let's go.'

Jemilla would typically lead a journey like this but for once she let the tribe go ahead of her so she could walk with Zazzalil at a slower pace so SB, Ducker and Schwoopsie lead the tribe into the forest each with a spear in hand, just in case. 

Molag stood at the edge of the village and watched as the tribe went further and further into forest.

The village felt quiet without the loud voices of the tribe, but Molag welcomed the peace and quiet. 

Part of her still wished she could go with the tribe however and she hated the fact that she wasn't capable of doing such a journey like that anymore. 

Molag just shook her head at the unfairness of it all.

'Those privileged fucks.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	8. Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zazzalil finally gets to go to the lake!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long to complete but I wanted to try and get it done as best as possible. 
> 
> Anyway thank you to all those that have read so far and I hope you enjoy this final chapter, it's been a blast to write :)

'Are we nearly there yet?' Zazzalil whined as she hobbled through the forest trying to keep up with the rest of the tribe. 

'For the sixth time Zazz, yes we're nearly at the lake.' Jemilla replied sounding a little annoyed by the repetitive question. 

Zazzalil went quiet for a moment before continuing, '... but you've said that every time I've asked.'

Jemilla rolled her eyes at her wife's impatience.

'Just have a little patience Zazz. We'll get there soon.' Jemilla said reassuringly as she held back a tree branch that was blocking Zazzalil's path. 

'I hate being patient.'

Jemilla actaully snorted at that, 'Really? I couldn't tell.' 

'Shut up you. This feels like this is taking forever walking at this pace.'

'Well I think you're doing amazing for someone who's injured.' Jemilla reassured. 

'Yeah I guess.' Zazzalil said quietly.

Jemilla had known Zazzalil long enough to know that she wasn't taking the whole injured woman thing too well.

Not that she could blame Zazzalil for feeling that way of course. 

Afterall Zazzalil was one of the most exuberant and energetic people in the tribe. She always had been ever since they were children and Molag was constantly chasing after Zazzalil to atop her before she ran headfirst into danger like normal. 

So to be suddenly reduced to a slower pace in life probably frustrated Zazzalil more than she would be willing to let on. 

It came as no surprise to Jemilla that her wife wasn't exactly the most forthcoming when it came to issues that actually bothered her, but she felt as though Zazzalil was making some progress with saying how she really felt. 

'I'm proud of you.' Jemilla said aloud before realising. 

Zazzalil looked at her wife with a shocked expression, 'Uh... why?' 

'A lot has happened over the past few weeks and I think you've handled it amazingly. I mean first you discovered fire, then we got rid of Snarl forever, then you became leader of the tribe alongside me, then we got married-'

Zazzalil smiled subconsciously as the mention of their marriage, she would never get used to having Jemilla as her wife.

'- and on top of all that we had entire database of knowledge shoved into our brains.' Jemilla exclaimed, gesturing to her head as she concluded her rant. 

'I don't know how I would've coped with it all without you.' Jemilla said honestly. 

'You're kidding right? J you're like the most practical person I know. You could handle anything.'

'I thought I could but in reality I couldn't cope with all that change. I think that's why I left.'

Zazzalil felt a pang of guilt in her stomach whenever she was reminded of Jemilla's less than civil depature, 'I think I might have had something to do with that J.'

'You were just part of it. But you've always been good at just going along with whatever happens. That's why we make such a good team. We help each other, you stop me from getting too controlling-

'-and you keep me grounded and stop me from being reckless.' Zazzalil interjected. 

Jemilla smiled at the realisation that Zazzalil was there to help her faults and she was there to help hers. It seemed as though the two leaders completed each other, both providing qualities the other lacked. 

Together it was quite possible that they could accomplish anything. 

'Hey guys I see the lake!' SB's voice rang out far ahead, pulling Jemilla from her thoughts. 

At the mention of the lake, a wide grin appeared on Zazzalil's face as she moved as fast as she could on her crutch. Jemilla chuckled at her wife's newfound energy and helped her hobble along as best as she could. 

Now the tribe had been to the lake many times in order to collect the medicinal plants that grew there but as Zazzalil stared at the shimmering water it was as though she had seen it for the first time. 

Perhaps it was because there was no longer a fear of sudden death. 

Or perhaps it was because Zazzalil had never felt as content with her life as she did at that moment. Afterall she had a smart and beautiful wife, a respected position in the tribe and a family who loved and cared about her. 

But who could say for sure?

The reason for her contented nature didn't matter anyway as when Zazzalil watched the tribe race towards the water, all her questions were washed away and were replaced by the sudden impulse to run with them. 

'You're injured, don't forget. So don't even think about chasing after them on that leg of yours.' Jemilla said, as though she read her wife's mind. 

'So not fair...' Zazzalil grumbled under her breath, looking a little disheartened. 

Before Zazzalil had the chance to retort something back to her wife, she found herself being swept off her feet.

As she was picked up swiftly into Jemilla's arms, she gave a startled yelp as she threw her arms around Jemilla's neck for balance which earned a grin from Jemilla. 

'So not funny J. You scared me.' Zazzalil said, swotting at Jemilla's arm with her now free hand as her crutch now lay on the floor by Jemilla's feet. 

'Well how else was I going to stop you from running off?' Jemilla teased as she began walking over to the cool water. 

'I swear to Duck Jemilla if you drop me in, I'll make you carry me all the way back.' Zazzalil threatened.

Jemilla smirked at the thought of a drenched Zazzalil. 

'There you go.' Jemilla said as she lowered Zazzalil onto the floor at the edge of the lake. 

As soon as she sat down Zazzalil threw her shoes off before dipping her feet into the cool water. Zazzalil sighed peacefully as the water washed away the aches and pains in her feet that she had gained from the tiresome journey. 

Jemilla smiled at the content look on her wife's face and joined her sitting on the lakeside, her feet dangling into the water too. 

'This is amazing.' Zazzalil said as she looked around at the lake's stunning scenery. The tepid waters shimmered as the spring sunshine reflected off the surface, making the entire lake appears as though it were glowing whilst the trees swayed in the gentle breeze. 

_This is perfect._

Jemilla thought as she watched the tribe. 

The rest of the tribe all seemed to be enjoying themselves so far, with Keeri sitting on the grass with Tiblyn and as they made flower crowns. And Emberly and Schwoopsie were already knee deep in the water as they playfully kicked water at Ducker and Grunt, who splashed back at any opportunity they could get in the onslaught of water that came their way. 

All the tribe were laughing and enjoying the sunshine and everybody looked at ease for once... but it seemed a little too peaceful. Jemilla knew she had forgotten something. 

A sudden yell drew everybody's attention away from their activities and forced everyone to look up towards a large rock that hung over the water. 

With a loud tarzan-like yell, SB ran along the rock and cannonballed straight into the depths below. 

The impact sounded a little painful as SB's body smacked against the water's surface but it was doubtful that SB would even be bothered about that when he saw the results of his cannonball. 

As soon as SB hit the water it sent a wave of water that drenched the girls who were sitting on the grass, which caused them both to squeal in shock as well as Ducker who was closest to the impact zone.

As SB came back up from the watery depths, he immediately burst out laughing once he saw the chaos he had created.

'You guys should see your faces! You all look so stupid!' SB laughed as he stood up in the water, as he could just about reach the bottom. 

'Smelly-balls! I'm gonna kill you!' Keeri yelled before kicking her shoes off and walking in after SB who started splashing water in the hopes she would stay away. 

She didn't. 

And not long after being drenched, Keeri had managed to submerge SB underwater multiple times as she wrestled him in the water causing the other tribe members to cheer them on.  

Zazzalil and Jemilla both laughed and shook their heads at the antics of the tribe. It had been a while since they had all acted like a family. 

'How long do you think it'll take them to stop fighting?' Zazzalil asked smiling. 

'They'll stop when they get tired. Hopefully anyway.'

Zazzalil sighed a little at the scene in front of her, 'I wish I could join in. It's been ages since I went swimming.'

Jemilla thought for a moment before getting an idea. 

'Come with me.' Jemilla said as she stood up, quickly picked Zazzalil's crutch off the floor before holding a hand out for Zazzalil. 

'Where are we going?' Zazzalil asked, as she took her wife's hand and let herself be lead away from the lakeside. 

'You'll see.' Jemilla smirked as she lead her wife down a path that lead back into the woodland.

'What about the tribe?' Zazzalil questioned. 

'They're too busy having a water fight so they probably won't even notice we're gone.'

Zazzalil hopped as best as she could as she followed Jemilla down the path, hoping that she didn't have far to walk since her leg was starting to throb a little. 

Luckily it didn't take long until Jemilla came to a stop and that's when Zazzalil finally realised where she was.

'We've been here before as kids, haven't we?' Zazzalil asked aloud, although it wasn't really a question as she already knew the answer.

'I was hoping you'd remember.' Jemilla smiled. 

Jemilla had brought them to a small creek that was setback from the lake, hidden from view, with a rather tranquil atmosphere. 

There was a stream that ran from the lake that lead to a large pool of water that had a waterfall running above it. 

Zazzalil felt as though her breath had been taken away from her as she looked around at the familiar scene. 

'God, the last time I came here was after...' Zazzalil stopped herself as she recalled the events that lead her to the creek last time. 

'...after your father died.' 

'Yeah we came here to collect plants or something, right? And I got upset so you brought me here.' Zazzalil recalled before going a little quiet as the memory came back to her. 

Jemilla offered her wife a sad smile before continuing the story, 'I had never seen you that upset before and for once I didn't really know what to do to help.'

'You did help though.' Zazzalil smiled fondly.

'Well I knew that I wanted to cheer you up and this place has always been my secret hiding spot so I knew no one would bother us that day.'

'Yeah and then I pretty much spent the day crying here whilst you went and collected the plants, I mean you even went and covered my share of the plants too.'

'Well, for once I didn't want you to get in trouble.' Jemilla said.

'You know, I think that was the first time I didn't think you were so stuck up.' Zazzalil said a little too honestly.

'Thanks I guess.' Jemilla laughed, although she still felt the sting if her wife's comment. 

_Had she really been that cold when she was younger?_

'So why did you bring us back here then?' Zazzalil asked curiously as she followed Jemilla down to the water. 

'Well you said you wanted to go swimming so I brought you here.' 

'Why didn't we just swim with the others?' Zazzalil questioned, sounding a little confused.

'Because I am not walking back to the village in soaking wet clothes and I'd like to keep some of my diginty in front of the tribe.' Jemilla replied.

'What's that got to do with- oh.' Zazzalil's face went a shade of red again when she realised what Jemilla was implying on doing. 

'We don't have to, you know. We can just sit here or we can always go back to the others if you're not comfortable.' Jemilla offered, not wanting her wife to feel forced into doing anything. 

'No!' Zazzalil exclaimed, 'Why would I be uncomfortable with that? It doesn't bother me at all and I've seen most of you anyway. And afterall we are married and I...'

Jemilla silenced her wife's overthinking by leaning foward and kissing her chastely and whilst it wasn't the longest kiss, it still left Zazzalil in a slightly dazed state when she leaned back and broke the kiss.

'You're rambling, sweetheart.' Jemilla said softly before lacing her fingers with Zazzalil's.

'Do you trust me?' Jemilla whispered as she gazed into Zazzalil's eyes.

Zazzalil simply nodded her head, not breaking eye contact with Jemilla even once.

Without leaving Zazzalil's gaze, Jemilla unlaced her fingers from Zazzalil's and reached behind her to loosen her top. 

It fell to the floor with a soft thump, a skirt following soon after. Unable to resist the temptation Zazzalil glanced down, only for a split second, and that's when Zazzalil realised that her wife hadn't been wearing anything underneath.

Now that she was met with a lot more skin that usual, Zazzalil temporarily lost all cognitive thoughts and the ability to function. 

It wasn't until she felt Jemilla's hands reaching for the bottom of her dress that she was pulled back to reality. 

After another quick nod of affirmation Zazzalil had also been freed from her clothing and found herself holding onto her wife's arms for support.

Now that the couple were at their most vulnerable, they shared a moment of hesitation but soon found themselves chuckling softly at their own awkwardness which was quickly followed by a chaste kiss for reassurance. 

Once the couple pulled away from each other, Jemilla began drifting towards the warm waters to gently remind Zazzalil of why they came to the creek in the first place. 

Slowly the couple edged into the water, with Jemilla taking care to help support Zazzalil's weight. 

It wasn't long before they found themselves knee-deep in the water and then it quickly turned waist-deep.

As they moved further inwards Zazzalil put her arms around Jemilla's neck for balance and to keep herself afloat as the water rose to their shoulders.

The weight was taken completely off Zazzalil's foot at this point and it was Jemilla who kept them both above water as she could still touch the bottom of the water.

Zazzalil let out a sigh of relief as the warm water washed away the ache in her leg.

'Thank you for all this.' Zazzalil sighed, closing her eyes.

'Anything for you my love.' Jemilla said lovingly. 

'My love. I like the sound of that.' Zazzalil murmured, sounding very relaxed. 

'I'll try and say it more often then.'

Zazzalil smiled at that and opened her eyes once more before leaning foward to kiss Jemilla again, this time the kiss was deeper than before which was probably the reason why Jemilla almost toppled them both over into the water. 

'I'm glad we came here.' Jemilla said as she broke the kiss, 'I like it when it's just us. I get to see the real you.'

'Well, I think you've definitely more of the real me now.' Zazzalil joked, glancing down at her own body. 

'True.' Jemilla laughed also casting a quick glance at her wife's body. 

'You're beautiful.' Zazzalil whispered, smiling at her wife. 

'Just like my incredible wife then.' Jemilla said causing Zazzalil to look away shyly. 

'I hope we never have to leave this place.' Zazzalil wished as she looked around and saw how the sunlight glinted off the water and how peaceful the place felt as the only sounds that could be heard were flowing water and birdsong.

'We can stay here as long as you want.' Jemilla offered.

'Only if you stay here with me.' Zazzalil said as she held onto her wife tighter than before.

'I'll stay with you forever, my little firebringer.' Jemilla said smiling. 

'Forever?' Zazzalil asked, a wide grin on her face. 

'Forever.' Jemilla whispered as Zazzalil leaned in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed reading and kudos and comments are appreciated :)
> 
> Also I've recently started uploading to Tumblr again so if anyone wants to check out any Starkid stuff then it's @typhoon-56
> 
> Thank you all again for reading!


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